Venting a dryer

Mar 27, 2005 15 Replies

Like you say, moisture would be a problem. And where there's moisture there can be mould. IMO, I'd try to avoid anything remotely close to a mould problem.

I'd first look at why your vent clogs and try to remedy that. Though there can be some minor buildup on the walls of the vent tube, it shouldn't be clogging. No matter where you run the vent, it's a hazard. Clogs aren't usually predictable.

Moisture leads to rust. Lint in the garage. Code requirement for one hour separation between garage and house.

The vent duct should be metal, not flex. Code & common sense suggest this. A clean out at the elbow in the basement would help.

This is what the world gets for less than thoughtful design.

TB

you already know the answer. if you dont want to believe it, vent away.

randy

I'd also take a look at what kind of dryer you have. Does it have a decent lint filter? And what kind of opening is on the outside of the house? Does it open correctly and allow full air flow?

The laundry room is on the main level of my house sort of in the center of the structure. The dryer vent goes down into the basment - travels between the floor joists and out the back of the house.. The problem is that the distance of the the vented air has travel is about 15 feet. When the vent clogs it is a BIG pain to unclog. The wall the dryer stands next to is the wall of my 2 car garage. It would be very easy to vent the dryer into the garage and make cleaning the vent very easy. The pro's are ease of cleaning and it would provide some heat in the attached, non-heated garage. Would there be any cons like maybe moisture buildup. So the question is, can I vent a dryer to an attached, non-heated garage?



Thanks


why don't you try it for a year or so? hit all the seasons. i doubt if your garage is sealed so well anyway. or once the vent is in the garage area, turn and go along the wall outside. build in some Ys for easy cleaning later on.

moisture is a problem if it builds up. everyone assumes that the end-of-the-world is near. keep an eye on it. maybe install temporarilly a moisture meter (hydrometer?) and see the before and after readings.

better this than the fire hazard of a plugged dryer vent. ..thehick

No. Not smart anyway, but it is also, against building code.

vents arent fire hazzards. people that dont clean them are.

randy

Better to have fumes from the garage entering the house?

That warm moist air would not bad not only for the garage, but anything in there, like cars.

I think this is the best solution. Getting rid of the flex should reduce the problem and greatly increase the safety. A clean out design would make the cleaning a lot easier.

As noted it is also very likely that venting to the garage is not legal and can be a safety risk.

Be sure the lint filter in the dryer is cleaned after each use so airflow is strong. If there are outside louvers make sure they open freely. Try cleaning by blowing a leaf blower into the dryer filter vent in the dryer.

LB

I've tried that. I cant recommend venting into the garage. Everything in there gets very damp and any metal gets a thin film of moisture. Only way I've been able to prevent it is to actually run a vent hose under the garage door. B

If it's solid 4 inch vent pipe going through the basement it shouldn't clog easily. Don't use screws to hold pieces together; the sharp edges on the inside are lint catchers.

Good idea on the leaf blower. Amazing what you can use those things for.

I saw a guy on TV using the mulcher-end of the thing as a snow blower (no, he didn't have the bag attached).

"Good idea on the leaf blower. Amazing what you can use those things for.

I saw a guy on TV using the mulcher-end of the thing as a snow blower (no, he didn't have the bag attached). "

I saw Bill Murray demonstrate how to use one to clean an apartment on Caddy Shack too!

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